Monday, February 20, 2017

Transactions Trail

Before I start,I wanted to thank those of you that sent nice words on the George Steele and Ivan Koloff posts.I enjoy looking back at the old days of wrestling fandom and the stories that go with them.
Glad you liked them and now onto to a few minor transactions over the last few days..

The New Jersey Devils traded Sergei Kalinin to Toronto after Kalinin cleared waivers as the Devils made their first trade with former GM Lou Lamiorello.
Kalinin scored two goals with two assists this season for the Devils on the third and fourth lines before the team waived Kalinin,
Kalinin would have been a restricted free agent at the end of the season and I doubt that the Devils would have been likely to re-sign him,so getting anything was something,so the depth acquisition of defenseman Viktor Loov was at least something.
Loov appeared in four games for the Leafs in 2015-16 with two assists,but spent this season with the Toronto Marlies,the Leafs AHL affiliate.
The 24 year old Swede was assigned to the Devils AHL affiliate in Albany.


Moving to baseball with the San Francisco Giants,who continued to add to their camp collection of veteran middle infield candidates with the signing of Aaron Hill.
The soon to be 35 year old Hill hit ten homers in splitting last year between the Brewers and Red Sox and offers the ability to play three positions in the infield.
Hill was also joined by Gordon Beckham,who decided to re-sign with the Giants after being an emergency addition from the White Sox in late season play when the Giants were hammered with injuries in the infield.
The pair will battle with about for twenty eight other candidates from around the world in the new reality game-Veteran Utility Infiielder!
Many can play-only one (Or maybe two) can win!

The Giants also added two interesting names to the spring training list with outfielder Slade Heathcott and pitcher David Hernandez.
Heathcott,who was at one time a top prospect in the Yankee organization before battling injury problems and drug suspensions,is an interesting name.
Heathcott has only 30 big league at bats (2015 Yankees) and spent last season trying a comeback in the White Sox system last year.
At just 26,Heathcott is worth a flyer for a low risk contract,even if usually these don't work out.
I'd bet on Heathcott being assigned to AAA Sacramento,if that is allowed in his contract..
David Hernandez,a former Frederick Key,brings a chance to make the team in the bullpen.
Hernandez throws hard and has a high strikeout rate which are both helpful in pitchers!
The issues with Hernandez are that he has one of the higher walk rates for relievers and has problems in keeping the baseball in the ballpark,which tends to be a pair of major items to worry about!
The hope with Hernandez is that perhaps his problems with allowing homers might be countered by playing half his games in the hardest park to hit the ball out of in baseball.

The Cleveland Indians are bringing two long shot lefties to Tucson for spring training in Chris Narveson and Luis Perez.
Narveson was a back of the rotation innings eater at one time for the Brewers,but that was six years ago and he has pitched 50 innings in the following five seasons combined.
Narveson had an ERA of over eight in eight innings with the Marlins last season.
Perez hasn't pitched in the bigs since Toronto in 2013 and spent last season in Japan as a Yakult Swallow and looks to be a LOOGY in AAA Columbus as insurance against a injury to any of the lefty relievers.
Cleveland also sold reliever Austin Adams to the Angels after posting an ERA of 9.83 last season in 19 appearances....


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